Based on this build of the game, The Crew 2 is worth waiting for.

Planes, boats and cars, that’s the name of the game. The Crew 2 seems more like a soft reboot than an actual sequel to Ubisoft’s 2014 sandbox racing game because, instead of trying to improve on the things fans didn’t like, they listened to them and removed them completely. Pesky and dark (a bit off-tone) single player campaign? Gone. Limited to ground vehicles? Not anymore. In fact, Ubisoft’s approach relies heavily on the fun factor more than anything else, and this first look at The Crew 2 seems to prove them right.

First things first, The Crew 2 is a racing open world game in which the players are able to traverse The United States of America (a condensed version of it, obviously) from left to right while competing in a series of races and challenges or, if they prefer, free roam any way they like. In order to make the ride even more pleasant, The Crew 2 adds water and air vehicles to the formula, so boundaries are virtually limitless when it comes to which route to choose. Furthermore, the team behind the game devised a mechanic, similar to that of Ubi’s own Steep, in which the player can switch between airplanes (or hovercrafts), cars (motorbikes or monster trucks too) and boats just by holding a single button and selecting. This is a very welcome addition because of how easy it makes it to get anywhere fast without having to worry about the terrain or going to a menu; on some level, it almost feels like you are riding a transformer, minus the transforming animation and the explosions. With this mechanic, every mistake becomes an opportunity to improvise. Your stunt leap from one building to another went wrong and you fell short a couple meters? Just transform into an airplane and problem solved! Your plane is going lower than expected under a bridge? Turn into a boat and you’ll be able to sail to safe port. One might say Ubisoft took the innovative factor of the free running that the original Assassin’s Creed presented to open world games and adapted it to a vehicle-based game. With “parkour” for vehicles, possibilities are near limitless.

Another key difference lies in the way menus are built. The game looks definitively sharper and way more modern and colorful than its predecessor. As a matter of fact, one could compare the difference between both games with the difference between Watch_Dogs and Watch_Dogs 2, both second installments being more colorful, daring (juvenile even) and aesthetically cooler. Not only that, but menus are easier to navigate and vehicles are easier to acquire, so you’ll focus more on the free roaming part of the game and not on the clunky stores and menus. Speaking of aesthetics, the game does show the 4 years that have passed since the first installment came out; The Crew 2 is presented in 4K and the graphics engine does show improvement. Render distances are increased, which is very much appreciated while traveling long distances at high altitude, objects and landscapes show sharper images and colors seem more vivid. The only downside is the physics engine, which still is not the best in terms of realism. This is especially true when compared with other racing games. Physics, in this sense, are more similar to those of the GTA series than those of Forza series, but one could excuse the game for sacrificing realism in order to achieve a game with an increased fun factor.

The Crew 2, as its name implies, is experienced best with a group of friends, however, the single player experience is actually pretty good too. According to the developers, the single player campaign will not focus on story as heavily as The Crew, but, instead shift its focus towards progression. The goal is simple: become the greatest racer in the country. With this on mind, a series of challenges will be presented to the player, as well as rivals to defeat and fame to acquire. The more famous you get, the better the access to vehicles. But, as in any modern open world game, if you prefer to just roam freely, you definitively have the option to do so.

The Crew 2 has a release date of June 29, 2018 and, based on this build of the game, it is worth waiting for. This is no ordinary racing game, but rather a bold approach to off-road sandboxing that, at times, feels a bit like GTA –minus the guns and violence- in the sense that both games can be explored freely, using a wide variety of vehicles and with seemingly no restrictions. Nevertheless, the differentiating points of The Crew 2 are the massive map and creative reproduction of the US’s cities and landmarks – focusing more on level design than in realism –, and the easy transition between ways of transportation. The Crew 2 aims towards fun and it delivers, plane (pun intended) and simple.